What Book Got You Started?

[Daniel]

The Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit were my first fantasy books, I suppose, but what really first got me into the sci-fi/fantasy genre was a storybook adaptation of Return of the Jedi. It was a large book, as I recall, and it had a bunch of screenshots from the film. I was a year old when the movie came out, so I hadn't yet actually seen it (we didn't have a VCR or anything in those days), but I was obsessed with that book.

[Torin]

Raymond wrote: "@Torin, I am not being disrespectful here, I just wished to point out that mainly Fiest and Tolkien alike were based on the classics.
Read some Greek faerie tales and you begin to see the inceptio..."
No disrespect taken - I studies Classical Civilisation at A Level - especially liking the Iliad, the Theban plays and Prometheus bound, as well as plays such as Frogs and Clouds

[Alicen]

Allison wrote: "Nick wrote: "I've read books in the past but when I got really into reading (my jr year in highschool) I somehow picked the hunger games and fell in love with sci-fi near future dystopian (now just..."

Hahaha yes I did, I'm hoping to find some really deep sci fi and fantasy in this group. So far its off to a great start!

[A Fantasy]

I think I would have to say The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien, and The Eyes of the Dragon, Stephen King. That hooked me when I was in 6th grade.

[Chris]

I wasn't into reading at all until a classmate in... I want to say grade 6? It was certainly elementary. Anyway, until that classmate insisted I read this book "Mossflower" by Brian Jacques. After that had the "can't put it down" effect on me, I ended up getting into Raymond E. Feist, some Dragonlance (Weis & Hickman) stuff (and of course the rest of Jacques' works) and it went from there.

[Anil]

Jules Verne, Asimov's Foundation trilogy.

[Kevin]

I remember reading The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney when I was eight or nine and fell in love with genre. I fell into an extremely long reading slump during my teenage years, but then I picked The Final Empire by Sanderson, which made me fall in love all over again.

[J]

My parent's handed me Dragonsong and Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey when I was in Jr. High and complaining about having nothing to read. Dragonsong was still a relatively new book aand one of the few YA SF available at the time.

[Kelly]

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe started it all for me. :)

[Marc-André]

For fantasy it was The Lord of the Rings. I read it because I was a raging teen geek who was into Dungeons and Dragons at the time.

For sci-fi it the first book that I read was a short story collection by Isaac Asimov that I read in my teens. It contained the Living Space short story. I still remember it 24 years later. It was a gift from one of my sisters.

Good times.

[TheADHDreader]

I've always loved fantasy, but the first one that really made an impact and made me go for that genre mainly was The Fellowship of the Ring. I eventually fell out of it because a lot of what I was reading was redundant and boring. Forward a few years later and The Name of the Wind happened. I fell headfirst into fantasy and scifi again and haven't stop ever since. One of my favorite series growing up was The Edge Chronicles, starting with Beyond the Deepwoods. Lot of good memories reading them.

[Lee]

I initially got into fantasy by reading Trudie Canavan's The magicains guild. After that i read a few awful books and stumbled upon Brandon sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss.

[Ryan]

What a great question. For me it was Dragons of Autumn Twilight, about 30 years ago. I stopped reading much fiction in about my mid-teens and only started again in 2010 when my wife encouraged me to read the Harry Potter series.

[Azrael]

Definitely the Hobbit! I read other works before it, but this was really what got me hooked.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

All this talk of Tolkien and Lewis is making me want to do a re-read. I may have to try to work that into the schedule if I can make it work with all the new-to-me books you all have mentioned!

[Chris]

Started with R. A. Salvatore's Homeland when I was 13. I read as much fantasy as I could in 2 years, then brought in some sci-fi when my mother found a box full of Asimov, Haldeman, Wells etc. I have to thank all of them for inspiring me to become a writer, but most praise has to go to R.A. Salvatore, since his hero, Drizzt Do'Urden, awakened something in me.

[Kristin B.]

When I was a kid Scholastic had these really great books that were marked with a little red blood mark on the spine with the word "Thriller" in it. A lot of these were Fantasy/Paranormal stories. The ones that stick out the most were:
and

I wasn't really into SciFi as a kid, and really only started getting into it to a certain extent in my late twenties, though Fantasy is still my preference. However, I believe the Fearless series would be considered SciFi, and I was obsessed with those in high school. They were about a girl who was "born without the fear gene." I never did finish the series, but I read about the first twenty books.

[[deleted user]]

The first SF book I remember reading as a boy back in the late 60's was Kemlo and the Space Lanes and I was hooked. I soon progressed to the usual suspects Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein etc. and never looked back.

[Faith]

The first book I read as a kid was a Star Trek book, then Star Wars, but as I got older went to mysteries. As an adult I have to give credit to Michael j. Sullivan author of The Riyria Revelations, without his books, not sure I would have ever picked up Game of Thrones.

[Joseph]

I've been debating adding to this (personal reasons). Finally decided, what the heck, go for it.
My first books, the books that got me started, were "audio" books before they existed. I was born blind (still visually challenged) and couldn't "see" until I was five or so. My sisters, aunts, uncles, mother and father would read to me. They'd sit me in their lap and let me touch the book, hold my hands so that I'd turn the pages with them and voice out the different characters. Mostly fairytales and nursery rhymes, although I distinctly remember my aunt buying me a book about dinosaurs (yeah, even though I couldn't see I knew about them and was hooked). She read it to me (it was not a kid's book on dinosaurs, more a highschool reader). The next day I told my uncle I wanted to read him my new book, got the book, sat with him and read it to him. I'm told I read it word for word as my aunt read it to me complete with turning the pages at the correct times.
Once I gained some sight I couldn't put books down. Still can't. Somehow those fairytales, nursery rhymes and dinosaurs stuck with me through the years (I wanted to be a paleontologist for ever so long then got sidetracked into physics and mathematics, then...).
The first book I purchased with my own money was an anthology, Wake Up Screaming (and I'm shocked Goodreads even knows of it). The stories so got to me I told my friends about them (and they all thought I was nuts). I still have my original copy. Worn, beaten due to my travels and life, and still mine to read again and again and again.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Joseph wrote: "I've been debating adding to this (personal reasons). Finally decided, what the heck, go for it.
My first books, the books that got me started, were "audio" books before they existed. I was born bl..."

What a beautiful story! It really goes to show you the power of books. Thank you for sharing :-)

[Trike]

Joseph wrote: "I was born blind (still visually challenged) and couldn't "see" until I was five or so."

That's fascinating. Can you expound on how that worked? Did you have an operation or were they slow in developing or something?

[Hank]

That is a phenonmenal story Joseph! Thanks for sharing. As much as you liked it, I personally don't like waking up screaming so I think I will skip it :)

[Bill's]

I am thinking that it was Tom Swift Jr series in about 1970 that got me started on science fiction. I then found Jules Verne, H G Wells, Edgar Rice Boroughs, Ray Bradbury, Issac Asimov, Robert Silverburg, and others in the school library.

I enjoyed The Chronicles of Narnia, but never got much into fantasy.

[Joseph]

Trike wrote: "Joseph wrote: "I was born blind (still visually challenged) and couldn't "see" until I was five or so."

That's fascinating. Can you expound on how that worked? Did you have an operation or were th..."

First, I'm...moved...by your comments, folks. I tend not to share much about myself (I'm boring and dull, just ask anyone who knows me), so thanks for your support.
Second, my eyes were football shaped at birth (that's what I'm told). As I grew, the changes to my facial bones/skull/cranium/whatever allowed my eyes to get a closer to normal shape. By the time I was five I could wear corrective lenses, although they had to be changed every 3-4 weeks (as I remember) as I grew.

[Trike]

So you're like a science fiction character. That's so cool. :)

[Kateb]

my first sci fi books were Issac Asimov's foundation series. From there I branched out into Poul Anderson and A E Van Voght . Arthur c Clarke and Fredy Hoyle.

[S.W.]

The grocery store paperback rack: first Robert E. Howard's Conan novel "The Hour of the Dragon" but renamed "Conan the Conqueror" with that stunning Frank Frazetta cover. Karl Edward Wagner's "Death Angel's Shadow" after that...then Tolkien and all the elf-fantasy stuff that followed him in the early 1980's. What with both the martial arts, movie, and video game explosions at the time, it was the perfect time to revive Howard and Tolkien. Hopefully Kindle will spark similar.

[Wolf_Maiden]

Definitely The Hobbit. Wonderful book, which was followed soon after by The Lord of the Rings. I devoured all those books and was in love with the fantasy genre ever since :D

[Aidan]

My sixth grade teacher had a copy of Dragons of Autumn Twilight in the classroom library. I reread it last year after having completely forgotten the story after all these years and it was like visiting home after a long time away.

[Ilona]

I would have said The Belgariad or A Spell for Chameleon but I suppose it is fairy tales first then Jules Verne.

[David]

Hmmm, hard to say. I didn't truly fall in love with reading until I was about 17/18, which involved The Dresden Files and Neil Gaiman's novels and Sandman comic series. But I did read several of the Narnia books (completely out of order, of course) in middle school during our "reading hour," where we had to read something but it was up to us what it was. Most of the kids had their own books from the library or home, but I never did because I didn't read much, so I just borrowed from the small shelf of books the teacher had in her classroom in order to stay out of trouble and fulfill the requirement. I enjoyed them a lot but just never thought to start seeking out fantasy novels on my own, for whatever reason, so I can't really say Narnia got me started, although I'm sure it had some sort of impression on me.

[Trike]

David wrote: "Hmmm, hard to say. I didn't truly fall in love with reading until I was about 17/18, which involved The Dresden Files ..."

When the first book in the Dresden Files was released, I was already 35. I hate you just a little bit right now.

[Gareth]

First book that got me started in the Sci-Fi world was 'Space Marine' by Ian Watson. Very grim-dark, violent and superbly detailed. Had me hooked and got me caring about the main characters right from the off.

[Lexxi Kitty]

Bunnicula (what, it's a vampire bunny - is fantasy! . . or not . . .)

Allison wrote: "How old were you? Have you read it since? Did it age well?

How old? No idea. 4?
Read it since? No.
Age well? No idea.


I suppose the book that actually got me 'into' Science Fiction would be The World Treasury of Science Fiction. I was somewhere over the age of 10. I've not read it since.

And the book that got me into Fantasy would probably be . . . *looks at books*
either the two Latro books I read by Gene Wolfe, or the four Dark Tower books I read by Stephen King. Both read when I was 'young'. Not read since.

[David]

Trike wrote: "David wrote: "Hmmm, hard to say. I didn't truly fall in love with reading until I was about 17/18, which involved The Dresden Files ..."

When the first book in the Dresden Files was released, I wa..."

Haha, sorry about that! You know what recently gave me a trip is finding out that at the start of the series Harry is a year younger than I am now.

[Trike]

I'm going to hit you with my cane, you whippersnapper.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Just tell him he can't have dessert. Small children hate that, and if he was one when Harry Potter became a phenomenon, he's like 6. A very precocious kindergartner. ;-)

I was an appropriately aged 11, so in this example I guess that makes me...16?

hm. Math was never my strong suit. I'll run the numbers again.

[Rachael]

Narnia was first when I was 7 or 8, followed quickly by The Hobbit and LotR. Jules Verne was close behind as well. I've never looked back.

[David]

Allison wrote: "Just tell him he can't have dessert. Small children hate that, and if he was one when Harry Potter became a phenomenon, he's like 6. A very precocious kindergartner. ;-)

I was an appropriately age..."

Harry Dresden, not Harry Potter. Dresden is the superior Harry. I would've been like...7 or 8 when the first Harry Potter book came out? Probably 10 by the time the first movie came out which is when I first heard of it. I actually only got around to reading them recently.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Whew!

[Kateb]

wow , I feel like kindy is in action. my first book of sci fi was in 1958 with issac Asimov. The Poul Anderson, A.E Van voght.

[Bill's]

I was 39 when the first Harry Potter book came out. I still haven't read any of them. I did see a couple of the movies.

[Matt]

For me, it was The Skystone by Jack Whyte. The entire series, The Camulod Chronicles, is one of my favorites.

[Barry]

Two books got me started in science fiction:

1. Fahrenheit 451
2. Unfortunately, I don't remember the title, but it's a book about a bunch of kids with ESP, only it's sorta banned in their society in the dystopian future. I read it as part of my HS English class back in 10th grade, I think.

And the book that got me started reading fantasy was (no surprise) Harry Potter. I have to thank my sister, because she was the one who actually bought the book and didn't finish it. So, one day I was bored and decided to pick it up.

[Matthew]

I read books before but the book that stands out is The Hobbit. My grade 4 teacher lent it to me and Fantasy has been my default from that day forward.

[Kateb]

Barry wrote: "Two books got me started in science fiction:

1. Fahrenheit 451
2. Unfortunately, I don't remember the title, but it's a book about a bunch of kids with ESP, only it's sorta banned in t..."

john wyndhams Chrystalids

[Jack]

I can not begin to tell you what my first Science Fiction or Fantasy books were. They seem to have always been on my reading list from when I can remember starting to read books.

The surprise is that no one else in my family read SF or F. No One.

[John]

Stranger in a Strange Land. I was hooked immediately. All 3 of my now adult sons have read it and also loved it. My job as a parent is officially complete!

[JT]

It's one of three:
* Either it goes 12 Labors of Hercules to looking for Mythology books and getting the first edition Deities and Demigods: Cyclopedia of Gods and Heroes from Myth and Legend (1980) to the Elric series OR...
* The first adult book I ever read was either Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less or Congo both published in the editions I read in 1980, and if the latter, there's the start.
* OR, also in 1980 Ray Bradbury, either Fahrenheit 451 or the Shortstory, "The Veldt", both of which I read in 5th grade. Leading to Andre Norton Star Ka'at World, and away we go.